Employers are failing to tap disabled workers’ skills

The fear, myth and stigma surrounding the UK’s 8.7 million
disabled people has prevented the majority of employers making the most of
their skills.

This is the finding of a new report Unlocking the
Evidence by Dr Simon Zadek and Susan Scott Parker published by the
Employers’ Forum on Disability and sponsored by BT.

The authors argue that disabled people remain on the margins
of mainstream economic life despite a wealth of evidence that indicates it is
in the interests of businesses to make the most of their talents.

They claim that until more people have contact with disabled
people there won’t be an even playing field.

The report’s findings are backed up by a survey of companies
which are members of the employers’ forum.

This found that even where companies are making progress
they are still finding great difficulties in attracting disabled people to
apply for jobs.

Lack of government commitment to enabling people to move
from welfare to work was cited by a number of companies as a major stumbling
block.